World’s Largest Film Festival for Emerging Filmmakers Announces 2026 Award Winners 

Monday, April 6, 2026

NFFTY (National Film Festival for Talented Youth), the world’s largest and most influential film festival for emerging directors, showcases work by filmmakers 24 and younger from around the globe. NFFTY returned for its 19th year March 26 – 29 in Seattle, Washington with thousands attending the festival. This year’s festival featured 235 films from 30 states and 41 countries, with directors ranging from age 10 to 24 years. The award winners – including jury, audience and honorable mentions – have been announced.

Thanks to support from Adobe Premiere Pro, NFFTY was able to relaunch it’s granting program with the Post Production Pitch Competition. Six finalists competed for cash grants up to $5,000 from a total prize pool of $10,000.

The winning school of the 48 HOUR FILM OFF will receive a $750 cash prize for their school’s film and media program, along with 5 scholarships of up to $5k to Vancouver Film School. JURY AWARD Winners will receive an Adobe Premiere Pro License and a $250 cash prize. BEST DOCUMENTARY, BEST DOCUMENTARY STUDENT and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY will receive a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Cameras 6K Pro.

All AUDIENCE AWARD winners will receive a subscription to ShotDeck. STORY STARTS HERE nominees all receive Final Draft 13. The STORY STARTS HERE BEST PILOT SCRIPT and BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY will each receive a $500 cash prize.

NFFTY has a prestigious jury of industry professionals with twelve categories and 36 jurors. The NFFTY 2026 jury bios can be found at: https://www.nffty.org/jury-2026

JURY AWARDS: 

BEST NARRATIVE:

Honey, My Love, So Sweet directed by JT Trinidad

“We have chosen Honey, My Love, So Sweet for the Narrative Student Jury Award. Its visually striking cinematic language supported the character's journey with confidence in its pacing and direction. The film is a great meditation on love and all of its complicated forms.”

SPECIAL MENTION: Love192 directed by Haydon Mayer

“We would like to make a special mention for Love192. We were absolutely blown away by the tone established through mixed media and the creative risks the filmmaker took.”

BEST NARRATIVE (STUDENT):

Sunny Oaks directed by Max Davies

“We admired this story’s nuanced approach to aging and death through its genre blending, unconventional structure, and editing techniques. Through the use of striking images and sound design, we were immersed in the characters' perspectives and empathized with their choices, which culminated in a final moment that lingered in our minds long after the credits rolled. The Best Narrative Award goes to Sunny Oaks by Max Davies.”

BEST DOCUMENTARY:

The Things We Lose on Our Way to the Sky directed by Yaeji Kim

“This film deftly balances intergenerational experience with poetic reflection, crafting a story as much interested in the vivid spaces and memories of childhood as with the abstract connections between family and time. The 2026 Documentary Jury award goes to Yaeji Kim’s The Things We Lose on the Way to the Sky”

BEST DOCUMENTARY (STUDENT):

Aquí Nadie Sabe Quién Fui directed by Alejandra Villegas, Vanessa Navari & Kate Vela

“The film we have chosen for this year’s Documentary (Student) Jury Award is Nobody here knows who I was (Aquí nadie sabe quién fui) by Alejandra Villegas, Vanessa Navari, and Kate Vela. While this is a deeply timely story, with the latest cartel news in Mexico, we were struck by the timeless courage of the filmmaking team to tackle the sensitive subject matter with empathy and an eye to safety of their protagonist. We commend the filmmaking team for its creation of a bold and inventive cinematic language that feels wholly original. Through and through, Nobody here knows who I was (Aquí nadie sabe quién fui) is expanding the possibilities of nonfiction storytelling. This is the type of short film that sticks with you and has not left us since our first viewing.”

SPECIAL MENTION: KARNAMA (Well of Death) directed by Pranav Dawar

“We’d would like to first give an honorable mention to Karnama (Well of Death) by Director Pranav Dawar and Editor Vidhu Kota. We were moved by its captivating cinematography and its excellent and energetic editing that made you feel the rush of the circus act as well as the deeper themes of sacrifice.”

BEST ANIMATION:

Embodied directed by Samuel Wright Smith

“We of the NFFTY 2026 Animation Jury have selected EMBODIED as this year’s category winner. We were moved by the documentary narrative about death and the fluidity of the vibrant, pastel-based animation. Embodied leveraged color and style to bring a cohesive consistency to a narrative full of subjectivity and variety. These subjects each had unique feelings about death, but the piece drew our attention to their similarities in wrestling with the unknown.”

SPECIAL MENTION: Chirp Talker directed by Audrey Cheng

“We wanted to give an honorable mention to CHIRP TALKER for the animator’s tone, consistency, and staging.”

BEST ANIMATION (STUDENT):

PASALUBONG! directed by Sophia Uy

“The Best Student Animation Award goes to PASALUBONG! by Sophia Uy. A tenderly crafted animated short that beautifully celebrates familial bonds, heartfelt friendship, and the bittersweet farewells that ultimately strengthen those connections. Through emotionally poignant storytelling and vibrant colors, the film brings its vivid, endearing characters to life while expressing its themes with clarity and warmth—reminding us that even in moments of parting, love and connection continue to grow.”

BEST EXPERIMENTAL:

NAIL POLISH directed by Sea Sombar & Alice Chiotti-Lee

“NAIL POLISH stands out for its raw, rugged, and creative use of mixed media. It utilizes different filmmaking, direct animation, and sound design techniques to create a surprisingly affecting experience. The result is a piece that feels artisanal and takes us into the mind of someone coming of age exploring their identity and coming to terms with their upbringing and future. Overall, it is a fearless piece of work of creativity, style, and experimentation that takes risks and evokes avante garde filmmaking techniques to talk about a theme that feels both deeply personal and urgent.”

SPECIAL MENTION: I Will Be a Fish For One Day directed by Angel Noriega

“This charming piece evokes a completely unexpected feeling. With a droning soundscape coupled with glitchcore visuals, I WILL BE A FISH FOR ONE DAY places the audience in the fish’s perspective, suggesting a yearning for what is beyond one's perception. A simple idea executed surprisingly well, it demonstrates that immersive filmmaking does not require a long runtime or excessive explanation.”

BEST EXPERIMENTAL (STUDENT):

VOICEMAIL directed by Lade Tinubu

“Voicemail reveals the fragility of artistic identity in the face of loss, confronting grief and regret with quiet honesty. Through a minimal yet carefully constructed language of sound and image—bold color, coded art direction, layered audio, static compositions—the film draws us into an intimate space where connection and distance gradually collapse into one another. The jury was moved by the clarity of its vision and the resonance it achieves through such deliberate restraint.”"

BEST MUSIC VIDEO:

māma directed by Keith Leung

BEST MUSIC VIDEO (STUDENT):

SHAMDEMONIUM directed by Grace Rathbun

“Our jury was honored to watch all the creative efforts included in this year's NFFTY music video submissions. It’s so inspiring to see fresh ideas and approaches as a new generation enters the fray of filmmaking. Ultimately, we decided to award the top prize to Grace Ann Rathburn for her hyper creative, painstakingly detailed entry, "Shamdemonium." The wonderfully abstract storytelling paired with surreal imagery, sound and character design, succeeds in doing what all music videos strive to do: build a world out of the song's DNA. A world that, when done correctly, feels inseparable from the song itself. I’ve always said that the best music videos make me feel as though the song can’t exist without them; "Shamdemonium" is living proof of this.”

BEST EPISODIC:

Ti Blan directed by Dwight Ellis Jr.

“While each of these pilots were fantastic in their own ways, we were particularly impressed by the winning project's sophisticated writing choices and the unique glimpse into the main character's world within the Haitian community. This pilot left us on a cliffhanger, eager to see how the rest of the series unfolds. We are thrilled to award the Episodic Grand Jury Prize to Ti Blan.”

PITCH COMPETITION:

MONROVIA 1971, dir. James DeLisio - awarded $500

INHUMA, dir. Chi Tran - awarded $1850

BLUEGUM, dir. Poetry Salaam - awarded $1850

PAPER TIGER, dir. Don Ahmad - awarded $2800

DIGITAL DREAMS, dir. Zoe Olavides - awarded $4000

STATE OF NO CAUSE, dir. Malik Clyde Terrab - awarded $4000

NEW TALENT:

  • AGES 14 & UNDER presented by Walnut Hill School for the Arts: THE UPRIGHT HUSTLE directed by Samantha Leeds

  • AGE 15 - 18 presented by Walnut Hill School for the Arts: BARRACUDA directed by Izzy Dalton

  • AGE 19 - 24: INSIDE MY WORN OUT DRAWER, IS AN OCEAN directed by Siwoo Kim

48 HOUR FILM OFF:

  • WINNER: QMS

  • RUNNER-UP: Sehome High School

SPECIAL AWARDS:

  • KATHY REICHGERDT INSPIRATION AWARD: OUR POCKETS ARE FULL directed by Anjali Pulim

  • LATINE SOCIAL JUSTICE FILMMAKER GRANT: RETORNO DE LAS ÁNIMAS directed by Nicolas Diaz-Magaloni

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:

  • BEST EDITING presented by Adobe Premiere Pro: MAGID / ZAFAR directed by Luís Hindman

  • BEST DIRECTING: SOLDIERS directed by Jonas Serpa Souza

  • BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE directed by Julian Barahona Rhi

  • BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY presented by Blackmagic Design: SHALLOW directed by Luca Huff

STORY STARTS HERE: SCREENPLAY COMPETITION:

  • BEST PILOT SCRIPT: SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE (iSerena Pilot Episode) by Saida Lewis

  • BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY: ASSHOLE by Harsimran Sandhu

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

  • OPENING NIGHT: KARNAMA (Well of Death), dir. Pranav Dawar

  • EXPERIENCE POINTS (XP): ZIE, ZO, dir. Kris van Melle

  • BREAKING THE MOLD: THIS HOUSE CREAKS, dir. Mar Kourouma

  • OUTSIDE THE LINES: SÃO PAULO, NEW YORK, dir. Eduardo Machado

  • GROWING THROUGH IT: MATES, dir. Rhodri Beynon

  • DAILY GRIND: BARBARA, dir. Jillian Moray

  • WEIGHT OF THE WORLD: MALICIA, dir. Edward Gómez Granada

  • PEDAL TO THE METAL: DIANA LA CAZADORA, Ayesha Fernandez

  • HAPPY HOUR SHORTS: THE EXTRAORDINARIES, dir. Andrew Gerstenblatt & Arthur Goldbart

  • EXPERIMENTAL VISIONS: TURN LIKE MATTER, dir. Angus Oakes

  • FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT: GATORVILLE, dir. Freddie Gluck

  • UNEASY STREET: WHAT ARE GRANDCHILDREN MADE OF?, dir. Lindsey Susor

  • EVERGREEN SCREEN: ROLL MODELZ, dir. Yahir Tzec-Carasco & Oliver Rodriguez Dickson

  • MORNING MEDLEY: BETRAYAL, dir. Justin De Anda

  • MEMORY: A SMALL GARDEN BY THE WINDOW, dir. Michela Figini

  • FAMILY PORTRAITS: FOREVER IS A DELICATE THING, dir. Cally Nguyen

  • EPISODIC SHOWCASE: TI BLAN, dir. Dwight Ellis Jr

  • SET HAPPENS!: L’OUVERTURE, dir. Maggie Deer & Lindsey Susor

  • SEISMIC SOUNDTRACKS: SKRRRT!!, dir. Yvette Sin

  • POINTS OF CONTACT: MY LITTLE CLOPFIC, dir. Eve Peters

  • CENTERPIECE: THE 12 INCH PIANIST, dir. Lucas Ansel

  • THRILLS & CHILLS: LIGHTS CAMERA CARNAGE, dir. Logan Weisberg

  • ALL AROUND US: FJALLFERÐ, dir. Jesse Smolan, Josh Fairmont & Ollie Smith

  • FRESH EYES: FIRST WINTER, dir. Schantelle Alonzo

  • LET’S GET PHYSICAL: FOUR SQUARE, dir. Eli Staub

  • REEL IMPACT: DESCONOCIDOS, Isaac Lee Greenblatt & Andrew Avila

  • IYKYK: THE PLANE I CALL FAMILY, dir. Carson Wine

  • CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE: CHOY: THE MAKING OF, dir. Maxwell Johnson

  • CLOSING NIGHT: DEAR MAE, dir. Mona Patterson, Josiah Mendoza & Zoey Franklin

ABOUT NFFTY

NFFTY is the largest and most influential film festival in the world for young filmmakers. NFFTY occurs in Seattle and its 18th festival included screenings, panels, contests, parties and networking opportunities for emerging filmmakers. Filmmakers from around the world submit short films in narrative, documentary, animation, music video, and experimental categories. NFFTY shows professional development offerings for filmmakers, partnering with such brands, top creators and industry talents like Sean Wang, Ben Proudfoot, Mari Walker, and Bing Liu. Since its launch in 2007, NFFTY has screened films from over 5,000 filmmakers, ranging in age from 6 – 24 years. For updates and news on NFFTY, visit www.NFFTY.org.

NFFTY is pleased to acknowledge our Presenting Sponsor Adobe Premiere Pro, our Premiere Sponsor Alaska Airlines, Gold Sponsors: Walnut Hill School for the Arts & Blackmagic Design. Our Silver Sponsors: Team Soapbox, NYFA, FSU Film, Chapman University Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, and ShotDeck.

A special thanks to Adobe Premiere Pro, Blackmagic Design, Shotdeck and Vancouver Film School for their prize donations to our winners.

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For more information:

Email: press@nffty.org

Phone: 206.905.8400